Michael Bisping Releases Statement About Vitor Belfort Using TRT Prior To Their Fight

Michael Bisping has released a statement giving his reaction to the news earlier this week that Vitor Belfort had been officially granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption which allowed him to legally use Testosterone Replacement Therapy prior to their fight at ‘UFC On FX 7’ last month.

Bisping would go on to lose that fight by TKO in the second round, and while he’s not blaming the loss on Belfort’s TRT usage, he does admit to being “very disappointed” that the Brazilian was allowed to use the controversial treatment.

Despite his reputation for trash-talking, Bisping’s point of view seems reasonable here and he more then anyone is entitled to have an opinion on the matter given that three of his UFC opponents in Belfort, Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson have been confirmed to be using TRT.

Those fighters account for three of Bisping’s four losses in the UFC’s middleweight division.

Read Bisping’s full statement below.

—

“As I said right after the fight, I lost because I made a mistake and Vitor took advantage of it. It sucks. I don’t like it, but that was the result. I lost. Bottom line.

Over the past couple years, and even right before the fight, I have made my views on TRT very, very clear. I don’t feel that I need to go into depth about it again right now. All I have to add, about this specific instance, is that it is very disappointing that someone who was caught cheating with testosterone in the past, now gets to use testosterone legally. A well known side effect of steroids is that it reduces testosterone, so I don’t understand how it would make sense to then grant someone an exemption to then increase testosterone.

All that being said, I am not here to make excuses or cry over spilled milk. I fight in the best organization in the world, The UFC, and am very excited to work and earn a title fight, the right way. That process starts by whooping Alan Belcher’s ass at UFC 159 on Saturday, April 27th, live on PPV.

Thanks everyone for their support – can’t wait to spend some time with British UFC fans in London next week and I will be back, better than ever.”

Ross launched MMA Insight (previously FightOfTheNight.com) in 2009 as a way to channel his passion for the sport of mixed martial arts. He's since penned countless news stories and live fight reports along with dozens of feature articles as the lead writer for the site, reaching millions of fans in the process.

3 COMMENTS

Steroids are still illegal – TRT is something different. If it’s abused then it’s still considered performance enhancing – Overeem and Sonnen both got lengthy suspensions for having elevated levels of testosterone.

To be granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption to use TRT a fighter applies through through their doctor and has to prove that they have a lower than normal amount of testosterone (this isn’t common though there are certain conditions that cause it…however of the main reasons for it can be down to having used steroids in the past though).

If granted the TUE then they are allowed to take Testosterone Replacement Therapy to ‘top up’ their testosterone levels. However, they still have to keep it within normal levels. Naturally the fighters are pushing it right to the limit of what’s considered normal though. If they go above that then they can still be suspended even if they have a TUE which is what happened to Nate Marquardt.

I’ve written about this quite a few times on the site over the past couple of years. It was a particularly hot topic in 2011 when Sonnen applied and was eventually granted a TUE following his suspension.

Thanx for the follow-up. I mean, just putting anything into your system for performance enhancement is just weak. A punch on the chin will put u out regardless what u have in your body. Unlike baseball or american football, steroids cant do much for u if you dont have the tools that it takes to win in the octagon.. But whatever. I never liked vitor, nate marq, overeem, or chael sonnen to begin with. Although chael is winning me over now due to his attitude on TUF. Good info on the TRT though…thx alot.

POPULAR CATEGORY

MMA Insight is dedicated to bringing you the best in Mixed Martial Arts coverage with a particular focus on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Along with covering the latest news stories and event results from the world of MMA on a daily basis, the main focus of the site is to provide quality, in-depth articles, insight and opinion on the major talking points in this ever evolving sport.